The Fury and the Peer
by Astrid Elphaba Lovegood
Summary: After saving a dragon's life, Valka is banished from Berk. Twenty years later, her son and his dragon find their way to Berk, whose Vikings are no friends of dragons. Hiccup is captivated by Stoick's ward, Astrid. When Hiccup's secret is uncovered, "who shall say what evils may result in consequence?" Plot loosely based on operetta Iolanthe
1. Overture

**AN: Hello! It's been a long time since I've written a fic of any kind so this should be fun. Many of this story's plot elements will come from W.S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan's operetta **_**Iolanthe**_ **, in which magic takes a political system (in that case the British peerage) and puts it on its head. This is essentially an** _ **Iolanthe**_ **AU. The subtitle for the operetta is** _ **The Peri and the Peer.**_ **I love both this franchise and this operetta very much so this combination should prove to be a fun one. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own neither How to Train Your Dragon nor Iolanthe.**

Overture

The first bit of orange peeked out from behind the horizon and spilled its light into the freezing bedroom. Valka begged herself not to open her eyes and instead buried her head further into his forearm. It _couldn't_ be sunrise just yet.

She sighed, hoping that if she ignored the sinking feeling slowly creeping its way from her stomach into the rest of her body, it would go away. Urging herself to live into the present, she focused all her energy on savoring their last few precious moments of their time together.

The images from the previous evening played on the back of her eyelids. His beaming face in the firelight as he, on his knees, serenaded her. His hand in hers as they made their way through the processional of torches to the bridal couch. The picturesque view of intimate details of his skin as he drove her crazy…

Luckily, in the short time they had left, she could still behold these delights once more. Against the will of her pouting id, she opened her eyes a smidge and let the sunlight flood them. The sight of him was worth it. Her lips brushed against his rough, freckled skin. Savoring every touch, her lips made their way up to his forearm, onto his massive shoulder, to the underside of his neck. He stirred beneath her.

"Val," he breathed.

She paid him no attention as her lips made their way to chin and cheeks, teasing him now that he had woken.

"Val," he sighed, a touch of irritation in his tone.

"Sh." She instructed. He would not spoil these last moments. She couldn't bear to think but these might very well be their last.

"Val-" She stopped his words with a kiss. He seemed surprised at first, but as she insisted more, he returned. She savored his affection as his hand drifted to her hip, his thumb gently caressing her side...

Teasing him a bit more, she pulled her lips away. Stoick scowled. "Good morning to you too," he said grumpily.

Giggling, she kissed him again. Bursting with a mixture of love, appreciation, and dread, it was all she could do to let his green eyes see into her own. They stared in silence for a few moments when the words finally spilled from her lips.

"I don't want you to go."

Valka felt herself turning red. The words sounded silly in retrospect. She immediately regretted them.

He reached a calloused hand to touch her face and echoed her thoughts which she knew were the bitter reality.

"I don't have a choice." He sighed.

Valka scowled. "It doesn't have to be you. There's Spitelout-"

"Val-"

" _Gobber_ would be a better choice tha-"

" _Val-_ " He warned.

Valka got straight to the point. "Why does Alvin get to stay?"

Stoick closed his eyes with a weary sigh. Valka knew it was too early for this but she wouldn't put it to rest until she had a better reason.

"Alvin needs to see that I trust him. I need to lead this mission." As he sat up, her secret defiance flared up inside her. He did _not_ need to lead this mission. If he stayed behind, she could make him see… "We both need this. Without his trust, we'll be defenseless. We're powerless if we can't defend ourselves on both fronts."

Her need for him to stay burned within her. "And we won't be able to. If there's an attack, we won't even make it to the docks alive! Let him lead the mission instead," she said, sitting up too, "You're the best warrior we've got."

Stoick put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not a warrior anymore, Val. I'm a chief."

Valka scoffed. "Oh? And is this any way for the chief to behave? What was it your father used to say? 'A chief protects his own!'"

"Eradicating the source is the best way to protect my people!"

She couldn't take this any longer. "Not when you could be killed!"

How could he not understand that this quest was a fool's errand? The Vikings of Berk had attempted to locate the nest time and time again for centuries, heroically and dismally failing to find it. As smart and as her Stoick was he could not do the impossible. She would not lose him.

His hand reached for hers. She pulled away at first but he pulled back, drawing it up to his heart. She found it hard to look at him when she knew she was right, but his tender gaze compelled her to sink into his remarkable green eyes.

"I will return, my dear," he whispered, "I promise."

Dread, fear, and adrenaline coursing through her, she wrapped her arms around her Stoick. They held each other in silence.

 _Thor watch over him_ , she begged, as a silent tear ran down her cheek.

Fire rained down from the sky and the unmistakable growl of a Monstrous Nightmare pierced the air. Vikings and dragons alike sped through the square, rushing to defend or steal.

"Light your torches!"

Raised beacons of fire illuminated the chaos. Valka burst through her front door, shield in hand, and immediately caught sight of Alvin. The familiar sense of unease filled her. Alvin was a man who always made his opinions known, especially if they contradicted those in positions of authority. With Stoick gone on the mission to the nest and Alvin as acting chief, something told Valka that this raid would not end well.

Determined to keep an eye on him, she ran after his small ragtag group of auxiliary warriors.

"Alvin!" She called after him.

"Valka!" called a familiar voice form behind her. She turned around to see the face of a close friend. With his good arm, he pulled her aside. "What is he doing leading the auxiliary squad?" asked Gobber.

"I'd like to ask _him_ the same question," said Valka sourly.

A Nadder spine sped through the air toward Gobber's good arm. Luckily, Valka threw her shield up at just the right moment.

"The docks are _that_ way ya pathetic sissies!" He called after Alvin and his men, stumbling to his feet, "Where does he think he's going? We can't hold up with that lot!"

"I know. I've got to try to talk some sense into him," she said, looking determined, "We need to stick to the plan."

"Valka," Gobber warned, "be careful."

With a nod, she dashed away to Alvin and the auxiliary squad. Luckily, none of their homes had burned down just yet but there was just enough light from the blasts above and around to light her way.

"Alvin!" Valka used her shield to push through the auxiliary squad as she drew closer to the acting chief.

He glanced sideways at her as she caught up to him. "Valka, lead a group to the southeast inlet and-"

"Alvin, you're not following Stoick's orders! He specifically told you to _evacuate_ the island if there was a raid! An attack with only half of us is suicide!"

Suddenly, a blast of Gronckle fire came down from above, about to land dangerously close to Valka's leg. Alvin's huge arms grabbed her and pulled her out of its path. Panting, she reached for her shield. Alvin pulled her behind the nearest house, all the while incoherently shouting at her over the roars, crackling fire, and sounds of steel. He grabbed her arm and pulled her in close.

"Who's in charge here?!" whispered Alvin through gritted teeth, " _I_ am. You're lucky I saved your skin! Now, go and lead a group to the southeast inlet before you can cause any more trouble."

Stoick may have put Alvin in charge but Valka would not be spoken to in such a disrespectful way. Valka yanked her arm from his grasp. All the better to evade his foul breath. "As the chief's wife, I command you to do what I ask!"

Not a moment later was his axe at her throat. "And as a Viking with an axe at your throat, I command _you_ to do what I ask."

Valka had had enough of him. She was not going to let this foolish excuse for a warrior destroy them all. She reached out to wrestle the axe from his grip but she knew he was stronger. He pinned her to the ground. A blast from a Deadly Nadder showed his gruesome, power-hungry expression.

Suddenly, huge claws ripped Valka from Alvin's clutches and carried her off the ground and into the air. Alvin's massive body became a speck in seconds as she ascended. She let out a surprised shriek as she looked up at the massive beast that had her in its clutches.

From the light of the fires below, she could make out the shades of brown and maroon that coated its hide. Its wingspan was larger than any she'd ever seen. She gasped thinking her eyes deceived her. Were those two sets of wings? Possibly sensing her wonder, the creature's head spun around one-hundred-and-eighty degrees. Its yellow eyes stared back at her as it let out a roar that sounded like a yawn.

Valka's heart raced as she searched for the best course of action. Most Vikings would hack at this beast until it dropped dead, but if she tried that approach _it_ would most likely drop _her_. Looking down at the flaming village below her, she decided to do everything in her power to stay in the air for as long as possible.

The dragon circled above the brawls in the square as if surveying the damage. Valka watched it closely, holding her breath. The longer she stayed in its claws, the more its splendor became known to her. Those definitely were two sets of wings…

As badly as Valka wanted to convince Alvin to call off the raid and save the people of Berk, she figured that in this moment, staying above would do her more good than harm. She recalled how strange it was to be in the clutches of a creature that had slaughtered her ancestors and friends and yet feel a sense of safety.

As the four-winged dragon started its third lap above the village, Valka's brain whirled. She was its prey, despite her ironic feeling of safety. And if she were its next meal, she would have to think like bait. In all her years of hunting and fishing, how had she seen bait avoid its predators? Her first thought seemed easy enough to execute: play dead.

She fell limp in its claws. As she felt herself beginning to slip out, she immediately regretted the decision, awaiting her certain fall to the fires below. But the dragon's grip tightened. It stopped its circular flight pattern and instead put its four wings to work as it sped in the opposite direction of the fiery raid.

Rapidly formulating a plan B, she watched as the village grew further and further away as they approached the island's southeast inlet. They descended more rapidly than she had expected. She felt as if her stomach were leading the way.

The four-winged dragon gently dropped her from its claws as she rolled onto the green. Crawling onto all fours, she did her best to make out her surroundings. Behind her, the edge of a cliff. Before her, this enormous beast, eyes as big as her head, sniffed her like a piece of meat. She nearly fell backward, but righted herself in time.

On second thought, realizing that up close, she could not identify this dragon, and that the beach and water below were the lesser of two evils, she made the leap of faith. As she fell for a moment, a plan came to mind: she would swim to the docks, sail for Stoick and the others, tell him what happened, make Alvin pay…

Just as she was about to hit the hard rocky shore, the beast dove from the cliff, swooped beneath her, and caught her. Valka lay spread-eagled across its back. She dared not move. This thing seemed intent on having her…

They flew back up the ledge to the inlet. Upon landing, she slid off its back onto the green. Its head rotated once more. She struggled to get onto all fours and it advanced towards her.

 _This is it,_ she thought grimly, _this is how it ends_.

The four-winged dragon approached her slowly, trying not to scare its prey. Unable to move, she lay there, vulnerable on the ground, staring up at it. Now overtop of her, it lowered its head, bringing its yellow owl-like eyes inches from her own. She dared not move. But the dragon didn't either.

They merely stared at each other. Valka examined the depth of its eyes. Why hadn't it finished her off? She felt it searching her eyes too, maybe wondering why she hadn't done the same. Then she realized that he had saved her life.

She looked deeper into his eyes. It cocked his head, possibly mirroring her. Valka had suspected that dragons were smarter than Vikings wanted to admit but this proved it. This dragon had saved her life. Twice! Once from Alvin and then _again_ from the fall.

She saw her own eyes reflected in his gaze and had to smile. He was so beautiful! The dragon's eyes softened and he opened his wide jaw in something resembling a smile. She laughed and hesitantly reached out to feel his scaly face but an axe whizzed between them.

The dragon reared up in fear. Valka leapt to her feet and saw Alvin running to fetch his axe.

"That'll teach _you,_ you filthy lizard!" He cried.

The four-winged dragon roared as he spread his two sets of wings, the left ones shielding Valka from harm. She heard the clang of metal, footsteps, and deep voices coming towards them. Peeking out from behind the wings, she saw the auxiliary squad assemble behind Alvin as he moved in for the kill. Alvin hurled his axe at the dragon's exposed chest.

In a split-second, Valka darted out from beneath the dragon's wings and caught the axe midair.

"Stand aside, Valka!" Alvin demanded.

"No! I won't let you do this!" Valka begged. Her fingernails dug into the handle. "He saved my life!"

The crowd of warriors gasped but Alvin seemed unfazed.

"Traitor! These creatures are monsters!"

"If he wanted to kill me, I would already be dead by now! Don't do this!"

Alvin advanced toward her. In her own opinion, Valka rather thought she was more afraid of him than of the dragon. "I'll do what I please," he growled dangerously, "Hand me my axe."

Valka stood firm. "No."

"Hand me the axe!"  
" _No!_ "

Alvin wrestled the axe from her grip. In that same moment, the four-winged dragon leapt into the air and let out a huge breath of fire like a warning to Alvin and the auxiliary squad. Spitelout hurled a mace at the dragon's belly.

"Look out!" Valka cried, in case the magnificent dragon hadn't seen it.

Upon hearing her cry, he dodged the weapon and bared his teeth.

"Traitor!" Alvin roared over the dragon's fury.

"Traitor?" The word sounded ridiculous. " _You're_ the one who disobeyed Stoick's orders! You could have taken us South to the Isle of Hopeless! But instead, you put our people in danger!"

This seemed to have struck Alvin harder than her first blow. The fire in the sky reflected in his eyes. "Valka, as acting chief, I hereby banish you from the tribe and from the island of Berk!"

The four-winged dragon roared and shot a blast of his fire at Alvin. The dragon picked up Valka in his claws and took to the skies, leaving Alvin and her home behind.

"What? No!" Valka cried, "Take me back! Take me back!"

This could not be her future. Would it end here?

As they soared north over unknown waters, her adrenaline had subsided. Worry flooded her. Banished? How would she raise their child?


	2. Act I: Scene 1

Act I Sc I

It had been twenty years. Stoick would never forget the day he lost two friends. Alvin he could do without but Valka could never be replaced. After all, it had been so soon after their wedding.

He warmed his hands by the fireplace as Astrid sharpened her axe at the foot of the steps. Stoick was proud of the girl. He'd taken her in thirteen years ago after her parents had died in that terrible attack. Ever since, she'd trained hard to avenge their deaths by becoming the most skilled warrior on Berk. She'd passed dragon training with flying colors.

Recently, she'd been training so much he hardly saw her. She would leave at first light, maybe return for a meal, and come back long after nightfall. Over the years he'd told her time and time again how unsafe and foolish she'd been but secretly found some relief when a raid would come and she would be far from the dangers.

Not that she couldn't defend herself. She was more than capable. But Stoick had to protect his own. He treated Astrid as if she were his own daughter. She almost was. There had been some talk among the village. Since Astrid was almost of age, she would soon be chief.

Had he discussed this with her? Not particularly. They got on well but that might have been because their conversations weren't usually ones of much substance. They usually recounted tales of gutting dragons or tactics and strategy. But she'd been ready for quite some time, even if she herself wouldn't believe it.

Stoick heard the familiar clink of Astrid's armour as she rose quickly. She seemed to be full of energy. He suspected she would head upstairs to bed. It was late after all. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw her turn for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Astrid seemed taken aback. Stoick hadn't meant to sound so harsh. But this time of year he always grew more cautious and angry, if truth be told. He'd never admitted it to anyone, not even Gobber, but Valka's betrayal had hurt him just as much as the loss.

The warrior folded her arms across her chest. "Training." She said simply.

Stoick raised an eyebrow. "At this time of night?" He asked.

"Less of a likelihood of people like Snotlout interrupting me. A precaution to reduce casualties."

"Very funny, Astrid," Stoick said scowling, although he admired her humor, for Snotlout was at his door just about every other day with another one of his futile attempts at wooing Astrid.

"There hasn't been a raid in months." Astrid pointed out, crossing to him.

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down." Stoick advised.

Much to Stoick's surprise, she kissed him on the cheek.

"Don't worry. I won't," said Astrid, beaming.

Stoick had known her all her life. Even before he took her in, she'd _never_ been known to be- affectionate. He said the exact words that came to mind, "What in Thor's name was _that_ about? Why are you so happy?"

Astrid smiled slyly. "There hasn't been a raid in months. Isn't that as good a reason as any?" She dashed out the door.

Stoick sighed, hoping she'd be careful. So far he felt he'd done at decent job as a guardian. He'd protected her. She was the most important thing in the world to him. But now since she was almost old enough to lead the people of Berk, he knew he'd have to let go. Like every chief, she'd have to get married. He paused. Was this about some boy? Was that why she was so eager to sneak off into the night?

He laughed to himself. What was he thinking? She wouldn't take any of the boys on this island if they were the last two on this Earth. Certainly not Snotlout. He seemed to irritate Astrid in a way no one else could. Not Fishlegs Ingerman. Stoick laughed out loud at the memory of Fishlegs' attempt to woo her with patter poetry of dragon statistics. And _certainly_ not Tuffnut Thorston. All he was interested in was trouble. And Gustav Larson wasn't nearly old enough. His scraggly excuse for a beard didn't impress anyone, especially Astrid. A funny image came to mind of a line of Viking suitors lined all the way down the front steps of the chief's house, only to be punched by Astrid, one by one until they'd all fallen…

A knock at the door drove Stoick from his reverie. The first thought that crept into his head was _If you're Snotlout, the answer will always be no._ He laughed to himself as he shuffled to the door and opened it. A silly smile must have been on his face: Gobber gave him a funny look.

"What're yeh smilin about?" He asked.

Maybe there wasn't much on this island to smile about.

"Astrid," Stoick admitted as he welcomed Gobber in, "She was uncharacteristically happy tonight. Said she went out for training."

Gobber snorted. "Training? At this time of the night? Well… she is the… _age_ for it." He winked.

"Nah," Stoick said, taking a seat at the table, "I've already ruled out all the eligible bachelors on the island. So, what can I do for you?" He noticed Gobber's left prosthesis this evening was his mug. "I would offer you a drink but it looks like you've already got one."

Gobber took a swig from his arm flagon. "Yep. I'm celebrating."

"What for?" Stoick asked. He made a mental note that there _definitely_ was very little on this island to smile about.

"No dragons! For months! Tonight marks the third consecutive dragon-free month since… well, since you became chief. But it seems we've got more pressing matters at our hands."

"What could be more pressing than dragon attacks?" Stoick asked, fearing the worst. Alvin's amassed an army of banished Vikings strong enough to take on Berk? That Dagur boy became Berserker chief and wants to call off the peace treaty? Drago Bludvist returned with his armoured dragons? The mere thought brought him chills.

Gobber absentmindedly fiddled with his rock tooth. "There have been rumors of a man wandering around the forests at night."

Stoick waved this away. "Probably just the Thorston twins up to their old tricks. Thor help us…"

"No, I don't think so, Stoick. They're not smart enough to pull something like this off. It's a man they've never seen before. I've got reports from Spitelout, Hoark, Bucket and Mulch, even Astrid. I'm surprised she didn't tell you."

Stoick's heart dropped. If this man was an enemy spy, Astrid's midnight training sessions would put her in grave danger. "What else do you know?" Stoick asked.

"From what I heard, he's been showing up just about every night since the raids stopped. Some think he's scared them away."

"How could one man scare off thousands of dragons?" Stoick scoffed, " _We've_ certainly tried for years."

"Bucket said he was ten feet tall with only one leg and a nasty disposition," Gobber laughed.

The chief glared at the blacksmith. "I'm sure I would have noticed if a ten-foot one-legged brute was plodding through our woods."

"Are you sure? How often do you venture outside the village?" Gobber asked.

"Have you heard anything _sensible_ from those who've got a look at him?" Stoick asked.

"Nothing of the kind. They all sound like legends for the book to me. But I'm more concerned that none of those who've sighted him have seen him arrive or leave. Every time he's been seen it's like he vanished without a trace."

"Well where has he been spotted?" Stoick asked. He imagined Spitelout rushing to the docks, only to find the same number of ships there were before. He wasn't a fast runner. The further away the spot in the woods, the less likely this monster brute would be caught.

"By the secret cove off Raven Point."

Stoick was dumbfounded. Secret cove? Showed how much of his time was devoted to chiefing. "Every time?" He asked.

"Every time," Gobber agreed.

Despite the hard work of the day, Stoick's brain set to work right away. "Then we'll just have to find him before he tries to leave. If he has scared the dragons off, then we need answers from him; who he is, what he's doing here, and how he kept those monsters at bay."

Gobber groaned. "Why do I feel like we're going on a little Stoick-Gobber recall mission?"

If Astrid was in danger, Stoick had no time for idle chat. He rose to his feet. "Gobber, you stake out at the watchtower by the docks. I'll stake out at the west side to see if I can spot his ship from there."

Gobber sighed as he rose to his feet a little more slowly. "Okay. Here we go."

Stoick's eyes fluttered open. He scolded himself for dozing off and hurriedly glanced at the shoreline. Once again, there was no sign of any boat. He sighed, wondering if this was just another one of Gobber's legends, like the Boneknapper or the Screaming Death, although he had turned out to be right about that one...

As Stoick stared off into the empty horizon, he wondered what silly name Gobber would assign his one-legged ten-foot man. Sleepily, Stoick wondered how big a man of ten feet would be. Or should he say, ten _foot._ And a big foot that must be.

Every time Stoick stared off into the unknown over the years, his thoughts always drifted to Valka. Surely, despite all his failed attempts to find her, she was out there still. He always imagined her the way she looked on their wedding night. The firelight in her eyes and full of laughter as they danced to their favorite… He hoped she was still dancing but the thought of her dancing alone on some Thorforsaken island weighed heavily on his heart. He began to imagine this island and its temperatures as warm as that summer when it never snowed…

"Stoick!" came a stage-whisper from behind him.

"AGHHHH!" He jumped nearly a foot in the air. Luckily it was only Gobber. What was he doing on the West side of the island?! They had a plan! They'd never catch Bigfoot _this_ way. "Gobber?! Wha—how—but—you…" Stoick blustered, "What are you doing on the west side of the island?!"

"Sunrise should be coming soon, Stoick," said Gobber, "I think we missed him."

Half-flustered because he had been caught off-guard, half-worried for Astrid's safety, Stoick paced with fury. "That's impossible! A man can't just vanish into thin air."

Gobber had a solemn look on his face. "Unless he's not a man at all…" He asked.

Stoick paused. Did Gobber have more information that he didn't? His eyes must have given him away, as Gobber continued.

"This is proof of what I've been tellin yeh all these years, Stoick! The Lycanwing—"

"UGH, _enough!_ " cried Stoick as he reached for Gobber's arm flagon, hoping for the dregs only to find that it had been run dry.


	3. Act I: Scene 2

Act I Sc II

Toothless let out a huffy sigh and shook his head. Hiccup scratched the dragon in his sweet spot.

"I know, bud," he sighed, "but I promise once we get back home we'll get you some extra mackerel. How does that sound?"

The dragon shook his head again and waddled off to the far side of the cove.

"Guess I'll have to do better than that," Hiccup sighed as he slid through the crack between the rocks and made his way down to the mossy floor of the cove.

The trek used to be difficult but the more he made the descent, the easier it became. As he landed on the mossy green, he made his way to the small lake in its center and splashed around a bit to signal to Toothless that he was safe. He would splash again when it was safe for Toothless to return to him.

Guilt gnawed at his insides. He knew Toothless couldn't fly on his own so there wasn't much for him to do. He _hated_ to do this to his friend, to send him away. But he knew that if Toothless showed himself, he'd certainly be killed. She never went anywhere without her axe! He recalled a time a few weeks ago when she showed him her axe-throwing skills but mainly he remembered some of her _other_ skills… _Gods_ , she was beautiful…

The coo of a Terrible Terror brought Hiccup back to his senses. He looked down at his feet to see the bug-eyed pocket-sized green dragon circling them. The Terror seemed very interested in Hiccup's metal leg as he stopped to sniff and bite it but pulled back when there was no satisfaction of taste.

Hiccup chuckled. He reached into his pocket for his supply of dragon nip. He was running low but it wouldn't take much for this little guy to calm down. A pinch would do, as his mother always said.

"Hey there, little guy," Hiccup knelt down, placing all his weight on his left leg. The Terror puffed out his chest, offended. "Sorry there, sorry there," Hiccup corrected himself, " _big_ guy." He offered him the dragon nip. "D'you want some of –" He hadn't even finished when the Terror had gobbled it up and was rolling peacefully on the cove floor instantly. Hiccup laughed.

Checking his surroundings, he scratched the little dragon behind the ear. Once the dragon had regained his senses, Hiccup offered his arm. After careful inspection of the arm, the Terror climbed on and perched, content in his security with his new friend. Like a falconer, Hiccup raised his arm and set the dragon free to fly.

"Go on. Fly north. You'll be safe there."

He tracked the Terror's flight path until he was safe in the cover of the trees, then past the view of the naked eye.

 _What a strange island_ , Hiccup thought, _full of so many hostile dragons. Probably because the stubborn Vikings that live on it won't let them be. I wonder if she's made the connection…_

Hiccup laid back and made himself comfortable on the rocks as he thought back on how he came to be on this island tonight.

After an argument with his mother three months ago, he and Toothless had taken to the skies and flew further south than ever before. Under the cover of night, they reached Berk, unaware of the tribe's relationship with dragons. They were flying overhead during a particularly nasty attack. A Nadder's fire fried Toothless' fabric tail fin.

When Toothless lost control, they separated on the way down, Toothless landing in the cove and Hiccup landing on the ledge above it, dangerously close to a beautiful Viking maiden, who unfortunately for him, was practicing her axe-throwing.

After some interrogations, some careful alterations of the truth on Hiccup's part (given their vastly differing views on dragons), and some persuasive lyrics, the two developed an interest in each other. They had been visiting each other almost nightly ever since.

After Hiccup had managed to get Toothless airborne, they encountered a pack of rather nasty dragons, all carrying the property of Vikings through the mists to an island in the west. With Toothless' stealth and Hiccup's wit, they discovered the source of the hostility: slavery to an enormous queen of a sort of dragon hive. All in a night's work, the boy and the Night Fury eradicated the source, freed the dragons from the evil queen, and freed the people of Berk from dragons. The island was at peace.

The more Hiccup came to this cove, the more special it became in his heart. Every one of its details filled his heart with warmth in this cold isle. The sound of the waterfall, the nooks and crannies of the caves, the way the moonlight reflected off the pool.

Guilt tugged at his insides once again. He knew Toothless was itching to splash around in that pool and burst through the waterfall… He hated to keep Toothless a secret, but maybe in the next few days, he would confess his secret and introduce her to his best friend. But before he tackled that challenge, he had some unfinished business to attend to.

"Well well well."

At the sound of the familiar voice, Hiccup sat straight up. She stood at the ground-level entrance to the cove, hands on her hips, looking impressive, with a wry smile. He rushed towards her. In that moment, he knew nothing else but his need for her. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

She threw her head back with a laugh. "Fancy seeing you here."

Hiccup kissed her with all the intensity and fervor he contained. She returned playfully, her tongue matching his intentions. His hands began to explore her back and made their way up into her hair as he untied her braid. Her hands had made their way up the back of his tunic, her nails digging into his bare skin, making him shiver with delight. She must have felt this shiver, for she broke away with a little laugh. There was a sort of sparkle in her eye.

"Good evening, m'lady."

"Evening?" She scoffed, "Psh, it's practically morning."

"Well I'm terribly sorry I flew all this way to see you after a hard day's work. Can't neglect my duties after all," Hiccup teased. He reached for her hand. She took it and they made their routine stroll around the lake. "You could've been here earlier, y'know."

"Me? Oh, well I supposed so. I made the mistake of telling Stoick I was going out this evening."

He glanced sideways at her. "What did he think of that? Sneaking off into the woods to meet a dangerous foreign man with only one leg-"

She laughed at his impersonation of this fantastical version of himself. "You? Dangerous?"

"Gods, I don't know! For all he knows I could be."

She gave him a little shove. "I didn't mention you at all, silly! I told him I was training."

"At this time of night?" Hiccup asked surprised.

"I was the time we met," she said with a squeeze of his hand.

He stopped and turned to face her. Her presence alone was worth the flight. Never in his life had he known someone he could talk to. He had Toothless but that was different. This was a different kind of special. Astrid was his intellectual equal. A leader. A fighter. And to top it all off she had the most beautiful face he'd ever seen.

"Astrid," he said, savoring the way it felt to say her name aloud.

She put her hands on the collar of his tunic and pressed her chest against his. "Hiccup," Astrid sighed. Her lips brushed his neck, her teeth pulling at his sensitive skin. Gods, as she made her way up to his ear… He grabbed her breast, rotating it as she let out a small sigh of pleasure.

In the midst of delirium, he whispered, "Oh, Astrid, you have no idea how important you are to me."

Their lips met again and again with scarce room for air, her tongue playfully darting its way in and out of his mouth. He managed to lock his teeth on her tongue and she on his. Gods, she was his equal indeed.

A rush of bliss filled him. As they kissed, his mind connected the dots. This moment was just as special as the moment when he knew that he and Toothless belonged together. Their connection was undeniable. Certainly his connection to Astrid, but was her connection to him as strong?

Slowly he pulled away, first lips, then hands, then body.

"What is it, Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

He found it hard to put into words. His feelings for her. His doubt of the strength of reciprocity. His need to strengthen that bond. He grew warm.

"Well I—uh—have you—uh—ever felt this way about anyone else?"

Her response was a solid punch to the arm.

"What!? W-w- _why_? What was that for?!" He asked, perplexed.

"For doubting me, _gods,_ Hiccup! Of course I haven't felt this way about anyone else. You haven't met the other muttonheads!"

"Okay, okay," he raised his hands in an attempt to soothe her. If he'd known she would have reacted this way he would have come up with something a little better to say. "They're muttonheads. I believe you. And I never meant to doubt you, Astrid. All I was trying to say is-that—" Hiccup grew warmer, "—I haven't felt this way about anyone else either."

He watched her expression melt from one of distaste to one of soft tenderness. It was a rare sight to see, a Viking woman dressed in her armour, wearing a soft, loving expression but looking as powerful as ever. He figured this was a good sign. He wouldn't second guess his words. He'd stick with the ones that came to mind.

"You're really special to me, Astrid," he continued, "Right now the only thing I know is that I want to be with you."

A gentler punch came this time as she drew closer towards him. "Well we've been seeing each other for three months. I think you'd know by now that we're together." She joked.

Hiccup put his hand on hers. "No, I mean something more concrete, something closer…" A crazy idea entered his mind. Astrid looked wary of the expression on his face. To see that face more than in the nights. To see that face in the daylight… "We should get married!"

Astrid considered this as if he had suggested they go to the beach. "Hmm. A nice idea," she said simply. Full of joy, Hiccup brought his lips to hers but was stopped by a finger. "… _if_ you can convince Stoick."

"Stoick?" Hiccup asked, pulling away, "What does he have to do with it?"

"He's my guardian, Hiccup. You'd be marrying his ward. He'd have to approve any of my suitors! Surely in your tribe you have something similar."

One of his alterations of the truth. Would she have taken him if she'd known he was a feral vigilante dragon rider? Probably not. In truth, living in the freezing mountains with his mother, Toothless, Cloudjumper, the Bewilderbeast, and the dragons under its care, he had absolutely no concept of the stratifications of Viking society or customs of domesticity. But her concept did sound similar to the behavior of dragon parents after their child takes on a new mate.

 _Oh gods,_ Hiccup imagined a fifty foot Viking with a beard as big as a wild tuna circling him, sniffing and snarling as he bared his axe and his teeth.

"Yeah, sure, something similar…" But if he could talk to Astrid, woo her even, and if tonight went well, seduce her, then he could certainly convince her guardian. "Then I'll have to convince him."

"Convince Stoick?" Astrid sounded dubious.

"Yeah!" Hiccup was anything but. "I'm a diplomat. I do this sort of stuff all the time." In truth, he did. He gained many followers after his presentations of his insightful ideas. Granted, all of these followers were dragons… "I'll stay the night and ask him in the morning."

"Woah woah, Hiccup, slow down," Astrid cautioned, "what's your plan?"

"Plan?"

"Yes. Your strategy. Stoick is a traditional Viking warrior chief. I don't think he'd take kindly to some one-legged stranger who waltzed into his house, demanded to marry his ward, and laughed in the face of the consequences."

Hiccup's face fell. "But surely he'll understand the connection between us?" He took her hand. "Can't you make him see how deeply we feel?"

"It's not a question of feeling, Hiccup. It's a question of safety. He's a warrior, Hiccup. To be fair, you could lose your other leg," Astrid said.

She did have a point. If Stoick was truly as fearsome as her stories said, he would definitely need to go to the house armed.

"There's been some talk in the village. Stoick had no children and so a lot of people think I'm next in line to become chief," Astrid continued, "If I were chief, we wouldn't _need_ Stoick's approval. I could do as I saw fit. The chief usually comes to power around age twenty-one. And I'll be twenty-one in a year—"

Hiccup scowled. "A year?!" He said incredulously.

"Don't you think we could wait a year?" She asked.

"Wait an entire year? Astrid, if you become chief, men from across your archipelago will be crawling across the seas for your hand. No, we can't wait. It's too dangerous to wait." Hiccup drew closer to her, his hand on her waist, his thumb stroking her side. "I don't want to put you in danger, Astrid."

"Very funny, Hiccup." He could tell she was feigning the sarcasm when a smile played across her lips.

"No, not funny. I'm serious."

"Hah!" she laughed, "You? Serious?"

"Watch." His lips met hers which initially protested but soon after, returned his kisses in a hot rush. He deftly slid her armour off her shoulders. Astrid's hands had already drifted up the back of Hiccup's tunic. He ripped it off himself. His left hand wandered up her shirt, playing with her bindings.

Between kisses as they paused for air, Astrid scolded, "Quit—messing—around. You said—you were—serious."

"I _am_ serious," he whispered as he nuzzled his nose into her neck and playfully nipped at her ear.

"You still think you can convince him?" She asked, stopping all fun and games as she waited for him to meet her gaze.

"Of course. Please, let me do this?" Hiccup pleaded, "He could say yes."

Astrid huffed. "Well, I suppose—"

"Oh, thank you, thank you, _thank youuu_!" He threw his arms around her but lost his balance. The fall took Astrid down with him. She helped him to his feet where they had a proper embrace. Her hand worked her way across his back down to his leggings.

"What do you say we go for a little midnight swim?" She asked as she playfully pushed him to the pool's edge.

As soon as his foot hit the water, he immediately bounced back out. "Ah—just—no, no—uh—heheh—metal leg, remember?" The signal... He couldn't give away Toothless just yet. He'd have to win her guardian over first. Besides, he and Astrid had only gotten started.

"Right, sorry," she avoided his gaze, looking embarrassed. She looked gorgeous in the moonlight.

He pulled her in close, his left hand making its familiar route up her shirt to fiddle with her bindings. "We could dooooo… something else…?"

A smile playing across her lips, Astrid undid them herself and slid her hands down Hiccup's bare back.

"Why whatever would that be?"


	4. Act I: Scene 3

Act I Sc III

It almost looked comical perched on the hill, towering over every other house in the village. He was sure that this was Stoick's house with the structure on the roof that looked eerily like a wood-carved severed dragon head. Hiccup shivered.

He made his way up the long set of steps as the sun peeked out from behind the tall, teetering rock formation that made the island recognizable from above. He hoped Stoick was awake. Were Vikings awake at this time of day? Hiccup wasn't sure. Astrid was always awake when he came to visit at night.

 _Ohhh no, that means Stoick won't be up. And that means I'd be waking him up and that means he won't be happy and we would_ not _be off to a good start, oh gods, I should have come up with a better plan!_

Heart racing, he knew he needed to cool down. He slowed his pace and did his best to consider the daunting situation before him rationally. Before and after he had met Toothless, the skills he'd learned from Valka had made him into "an excellent leader" as she often said. His intelligence and patience had served him well in his diplomatic dealings. He liked to think of himself as an ambassador to dragons. He, Toothless, and the dragons led a group of thousands!

 _Of dragons_ , he reminded himself, _Not people_ …

He was already at Stoick's door. Hiccup reminded himself to stay positive. Stoick was the man who took Astrid in after her parents were killed in that attack. Thoughts of her sly smile gave Hiccup the confidence to push open to door and cross the threshold.

Hiccup stood in the doorway not really sure what to do. This was the first time he'd ever been in a house before. It was a lot darker than he'd imagined it would be. Light came only from the fireplace. It was a shame these people didn't get along with dragons because their houses seemed to have enough room for one. Hiccup could imagine Toothless jumping from beam to beam in the rafters…

"Hello?" called a deep voice from within. A massive man with an impressive beard descended the stairs. This must have been Stoick. When he saw that there was indeed a stranger in his house, he reached for the nearest axe hung on the wall. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" Stoick whispered dangerously.

Hiccup gulped. He had expected roaring and blustering but this was much more intimidating. If Hiccup had the choice between a herd of Changewings or Stoick the Vast, he would choose the Changewings.

"Hello. Uh—are you Stoick? Well-uh—my name is Hiccup," He could already feel himself turning red.

Stoick snorted. "Hiccup? Learn to knock, will you?"

Hiccup wondered if that was slang for a type of sparring. Was this a joke about his size? Maybe both? Now that this man was at the foot of the steps, he towered over Hiccup. If Stoick hadn't intended to make him feel small before, he certainly was now. Doing his best not to allow the Viking chief to succeed in this endeavor, Hiccup continued his spiel, sticking to the few details he'd altered in his story to Astrid.

"I'm from the North—"

"Oh? Are you from Freezing to Death?" Stoick asked.

"Ehm, no. But where I come from, I'm known as a sort of apprentice to the uh—" Hiccup struggled to find the right word for his mother's title in the dragon world without revealing their opinions of dragons as Stoick looked him up and down.

"—to the blacksmith?" Stoick asked, gesturing to Hiccup's metal leg.

Valka had taught him all the skills he needed to make the iron mechanics in Toothless' tail and his own prosthetic leg, so for the sake of argument, Hiccup could agree to that. "Sort of, I suppose."

"If you're further north than Freezing, what are you doing this far south?" Stoick asked, taking a seat. Hiccup tried to conceal his relief. Until that moment he hadn't realized how much real-life Stoick lived up to his dragon world expectations with the snarling and the cold stare. It was an enormous improvement to be relatively at eye-level.

"Well, funny you should ask," said Hiccup with much more confidence, "the thing is I didn't mean to come here. A few months ago I was— _sailing_ south to build a new map and I came across this lovely place. I crashed- _wrecked_ near the woods on the far side of the island. I befriended one of your villagers. Her name is Astrid."

Stoick's grip on his axe tightened and shot daggers with his eyes.

Hiccup changed his tactic to self-preservation and sped through the last bit of his story. "So anyway, we've become pretty close and she told me you're her guardian. And when I asked her to marry me—"

"What?!" roared Stoick, jumping to his feet and advancing towards Hiccup.

"But but _but_ she insisted that I tell you first. So, nice to meet you, but I really should be going—"

"Oh no, boy, you're not going anywhere."

Hiccup backed away. "Now I—I—I know this may not be very— traditional—"

"Traditional?" Stoick roared, "Ugh!" The chief paced about the room. He threw down the axe which eased some of the tension. "Gobber was right. I should have known. It all makes sense. You must be Bigfoot," Stoick muttered under his breath. He collected himself. His eyes softened.

"Alright, young man," he continued skeptically, "what excuse do you have? How would it be beneficial for my ward to marry you, someone who shows up out of the blue, just when she's about to become chief?"

"So she _is_ about to be chief?" Hiccup asked.

Stoick's eyes narrowed and the icy stare returned. "Wouldn't you like to—"

"No reason!" Hiccup held up his hands as if in surrender with a nervous laugh, "She just mentioned that that might be a possibility!"

Stoick sighed. "Listen, I'm the chief of the tribe," he paused, "what did you say your name was?"

"Uh, Hiccup, sir," Hiccup said. Strange. People didn't usually forget his name.

"Here's the thing, _Hic-cup_ ," Stoick continued, collapsing, "I'm the chief of this tribe. Astrid might have told me you need my permission, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. For argument's sake, say that I _did_ agree to such a union."

Hiccup's heart leapt.

Stoick continued, "As husband to the chief, you'd have to be prepared to lead the people. Can you name any qualifications you'd have for such a task?"

Hiccup's time had come. "Well, funny you should ask." He stood a little taller. "Where I come from, I'm known as a revolutionary. A leader. I'm known for my innovative ideas and thousands of dra— _people_ have followed my lead. I've settled disputes and saved lives. But these people are not mere subjects; I am proud to call them my friends. And I assure you that if I married your Astrid, the future chief of Berk, I assure you that I would—"

Stoick seemed as if he could hold in his amusement no longer. He roared with laughter. "A leader? Oh gods! Your subjects as your _friends_? Hiccup, Hiccup, _Hiccup,_ you're a _blacksmith_!"

Hiccup's heart sank. "Right," he remembered that as the cover for his lack of a proper Viking profession, "That… Sir…if I may—"

"Hiccup", Stoick cut him off, returning to his senses, "you are not fit to lead these people."

"No, you're right," Hiccup admitted, "I'm having a hard enough time trying to convince you, to be frank. But leading the people, that wouldn't be me, Stoick. That would be _Astrid's_ job."

Stoick sighed. "Has Astrid told you that I was married?"

"No, she didn't."

The Viking chief turned away and diverted his gaze to the fire. "Well, I was…for a brief time…until I lost her… Even before we were married, she was my counsel. She was support for the chief and therefore support for the people. She was as much the chief as I was, Hiccup… and I should have let her be."

Hiccup figured a way he could direct the conversation back to his qualifications to marry Astrid. "You loved her, didn't you?"

"Aye," Stoick whispered solemnly. His tone changed. "Don't try to tell me you know what love is, boy."

Hiccup mentally cursed.

"Exactly how long have you and Astrid been seeing each other?" Stoick asked, towering over him once more.

"Uhm…about uh…a few months…"

Stoick laughed much more heartily this time. Hot anger welled inside Hiccup. Who did this man think he was? Hiccup knew very well that he was unqualified to lead the people of this village but he was nothing if not intelligent. He hadn't come there to ask to be chief! This was about Astrid! He merely wanted _permission_! He would not be treated like the runt of the litter! He bubbled over and cried out in frustration.

"Can you not see how important she is to me?" Hiccup burst, "You may not think a few months is a long time but I can assure you that I love this girl! I love Astrid! And this has nothing to do with leading a tribe or status or anything like that, no. It's –it's –it's a special bond we have. It's like a connection I've never felt before. Sir, this is about the depth of our feelings for each other. How can—how can you apply the simple matters of state to a matter that's strictly of the heart?"

"Ah, my boy," Stoick interrupted, "but it's _not_ a matter of the heart. It's a matter of state. When you discuss one, you should not discuss the other. Never during my time as chief have I ever mixed the two, which I may say has helped me greatly."

"But it shouldn't be _about_ that—" Hiccup protested.

"Enough," Stoick held up a hand, "even if you'd lived on this island your entire life, I still wouldn't have said yes. I admit I have to admire your stubbornness. And your bravery. But you don't qualify to be a Viking leader. You don't what it takes, _Hic-cup_."  
Hiccup burned to tell him just how qualified he was. "But I know what it is to—"

"That's enough," said Stoick calmly.

"—Sir, you have no _idea_ what I can—"

"Enough!" Stoick boomed.

Hiccup sighed, dejected. Stoick put a hand on his shoulder. It was nearly twice its size. It made Hiccup feel small, worthless even.

"Look, Hiccup, you probably have a big heart but that won't be enough for the people of this village. I'm sorry. Now if you'll excuse me," said Stoick, patting him on the shoulder with enough force to knock him to the ground, "Duty calls." Stoick crossed to the door as if seeing him out. It seemed Hiccup's time was up here.

The boy slumped his way out the door. With a sigh and a groan, he murmured under his breath, "What am I gonna tell Astrid?"

Stoick stopped him. "Oh, one more thing—you're not to see my ward ever again." He slammed the door in Hiccup's face.

Dejected and all hope lost, Hiccup shuffled back to Raven Point. He figured he'd best find Toothless and fly back to the mountain.


	5. Act I: Scene 4

**Author's Note: WOW! Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I'm currently working on the Act One Finale, soon to come, but based on its structure it's proving more challenging than I originally thought. It will come soon, though. Thank you so much for your support, you guys! Enjoy!**

Act I Sc IV

Astrid awoke much colder than she had expected. Without Hiccup's body heat, their hideaway's cave was much colder than she remembered. She frowned. He must have left to speak to Stoick without waking her.

"Curses," she muttered.

She wished he had woken her with a good morning kiss… or several. Thoughts of their previous night together made her sigh delightedly. Gods, she was unbelievably lucky to have been blessed with a man who was more than her intellectual equal; he was also a gods sent lover…

She stretched her limbs and felt a tickle on her right hand. It was a scrap of paper. It had some writing on it. She rolled over onto her stomach to look at the writing and held it to the morning light streaming in. Once she got a better look, she scoffed at the ridiculously neat penmanship. Despite the previous night's escapades and spending the night on a hard cave floor, Astrid felt much lighter.

 _Milady,_

 _Gone to speak with Stoick. Meet me after dark. We'll talk then._

 _I have a surprise I think you're going to like._

 _Yours,_

 _Hiccup_

She pocketed the note in her bindings, as good a temporary storage place as any, and rose to her feet. She knew Hiccup's words alone wouldn't be enough to convince Stoick. She would need to present her case as well. Astrid had lived with Stoick for years and if anyone knew how to reach him, she did. With strategy on her mind and Hiccup's words on her heart, Astrid made her way back to the village.

Before the rooftops were even in sight, she had a strong sense that Hiccup's talk with Stoick had not went well. Her stomach sank at the sound of Viking war cries echoing through the air. Although usually enough to curdle an enemy's blood, these cries seemed more doctored than the usual Viking primal guttural screech. Her heart pounded inside her chest as she ran the last few yards up the hill. As her roof and the square came into view, her stomach dropped. She soon realized that these were not war cries. These were mating calls.

The sight sickened her. The square was full of Viking men, some from Berk, some from other islands. Most senselessly bashed each other. Others were too absorbed admiring and comparing biceps to take part in the scuffles. The men tainting the fearsome name of the Viking war cry seemed to be turning it into a contest. In Astrid's opinion, they all tied for dead last. Although she did not know all these men by name, she knew that they were all unmarried.

Hot rage bubbled inside her. How could Stoick pull a stunt like this? And on the day that Hiccup… A horrible thought entered her mind. Was this a direct result of Hiccup's failure to convince him?

"What in Thor's name… what is all… _this_?!" Astrid blustered.

"Oh, hey, Astrid," came a voice from atop Astrid's roof.

She whirled around to see the Thorston twins perched on her roof, watching the scene below with eager eyes. Tuffnut waved. Ruffnut cracked a nut on her brother's helmet.

"What are you two doing on my roof?!" Astrid called from the hill. Ordinarily she would have added something like an "I can't _believe_ this" but coming from the twins, she could believe it.

"Ah, my fair Astrid," said Tuffnut, just as entertained by her fury as by the festival of testosterone below, "but the better question would be 'what _aren't_ we doing on your roof?'"

"Yeah, we come up here all the time," said Ruffnut in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Totally _not_ to put 'Burn me' signs on your roof."

Astrid scowled. "You would probably spell it wrong."

"You're right, we must have," Tuff agreed, "which is why your roof is still intact."

"Never mind that," said Astrid, "have you seen Stoick?"

"Uh, yeah," said Ruff, "He's right there." She pointed to the stocky figure in the distance making his way up from the docks.

"What do these men think they're doing?" Astrid said, more to herself than to anyone else.

"Uh, it's obvious, isn't it?" said Ruffnut, "Word's gotten out that you're about to be chief and all the eligible guys in the archipelago are in the midst of tearing each other's heads off until you pick one to be your husband."

"Please don't pick one!" Tuffnut begged, "I bet Ruffnut that Snotlout would clobber Gustav."

More often than not, the twins spouted the stupidest ideas but in this instance, it seemed that Ruffnut was right.

Astrid began formulating her plan to sneak past the herd of men to demand Stoick to put an end to this but her loud conversation with the twins must have drawn attention to her presence. A high-pitched voice from the mob gasped, "Astrid's here!"

Tripping over themselves, the mob clawed its way uphill towards her.

As Hiccup had made her painfully aware, Astrid did _love_ her strategy, on and off the battlefield. In this moment, she figured the quickest way to get Stoick to agree would be to change her strategy. This escape was about to turn into a full-frontal assault. She would let these men present their cases to her. Then, she would turn them away with the truth. She would kill their hopes of marrying her with the news of her betrothal to Hiccup and prove the measure of her love to Stoick in one fell blow.

She took a deep breath and grandly descended the hill. Almost instantly, the Viking bachelors ceased their brawls and froze. All eyes fell on her. With every step, it dawned on her that this was what Ruffnut would call her "walk of shame". The thought filled her with triumph. Her stride became more confident. Her walk turned into something closer to a swagger. As she reached the center of the square, the Viking men crowded around her.

"Alright, gentlemen," said Astrid slyly, slowly untying her braid. She heard a clang of metal against rock as one Viking hit the floor. She continued, trying not to laugh. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Snotlout Jorgenson made his best effort to push through the crowd but was pinned to the ground by a burly Viking from Freezing. A brawl ensued. While the others were distracted, Fishlegs Ingerman took this as his opportunity to make his case. He was holding a scrap of paper and shifting nervously. He recited its contents while Ruffnut and Tuffnut guffawed in the background.

"Of all the young warriors I know,

You, pretty young lady are the fairest,

Your lips have the rosiest show,

Your eyes are the richest and rarest.

Although you weren't born to be chief,

Of leadership potential _I've_ plenty!

I've knowledge and wit, yes it's true,

And—"*

"—and a joke about his age, cause twenty rhymes with plenty!" Snotlout had emerged victorious from the brawl with the man from Freezing and had cut Fishlegs' impressive verse short by knocking the poet to the ground.

"Damn you, Snotlout!" cursed Fishlegs, his voice muffled under Snotlout's boot.

"Fishlegs, you're only doing this because your parents are making you," jeered Snotlout, "I on the other hand—" He advanced towards Astrid, his chest puffed out. "–can't deny that there's a spark between us."

Although her strategy was to let them make their points, Astrid couldn't resist this one jab at Snotlout. Even before she had been speculated to be chief, he had always driven her up the wall. He had walked into this joke. She had to disobey her own orders

"The spark of the dragon I send to attack you?"

"The dragon that I will dominate with my sheer force of personality and muscle!" Snotlout countered, placing a kiss on each of his biceps.

"Urgh!" Astrid shuddered, as did several of the Viking bachelor mob. Her stomach curdled. She hoped Snotlout wouldn't continue for much longer or he would blow her cover before Stoick arrived for the full-frontal assault.

"Face it, baby, if you got it on with this," he gestured to his flexed bicep and Astrid nearly threw up in her mouth, "you'd have the pleasure of being with the most beautiful, most awesome Viking in the archipelago."

This rose more than a few eyebrows in the crowd of Viking suitors behind her. One particularly enraged Berserker let out a yowl and knocked Snotlout to the ground. Another brawl ensued and this time. As Snotlout had offended every single one of them, every Viking took part.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Kiss! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" called Ruffnut and Tuffnut from atop Astrid's roof.

Glad that Snotlout had gotten what was coming to him, Astrid knelt down to his eye level.

"Anything else you have to say, Snotlout?" she asked, dying to join in hearty laughter with the twins.

Between blows to the face, he replied, "—only—that—your beautiful face—would look—even better—next to _my_ —beautiful—"

"Enough!" Stoick had finally arrived on scene.

The Vikings fell silent. Astrid's heart beat fast, ready for the attack.

"You all know why I've brought you here today," he said, "As my ward Astrid is almost of age to become chief of the tribe of the Hairy Hooligans—"

The Hooligans let out a Viking war cry of pride. The others let out a raspberry of distaste.

"—I have brought you all before her so that she might select whichever one of you she may deem worthy to be her husband."

Excitement filled her. This would crush the bachelors and show Stoick that he had no business attempting to pick men for her, especially those that were nowhere near the caliber of Hiccup.

"Stoick," Astrid feigned obedience, reveling in the power she held over them, "I'm touched that you would go to such lengths to find a husband for me. But I must confess: this was not necessary." She dropped the innocent act. With a vindictive glare, she bore a hole through Stoick's soul. "For I have already made my decision."

His eyes narrowed. "Astrid…" the chief growled, "you have _not_ —"

"HAHA!" cried Snotlout triumphantly from under the Berserker's boot, "I knew she'd already made her decision because she's been in love with me this whole time!" He received another well-deserved kick to the face to shut him up. Eager to hear her decision, the Viking men shushed him ferociously for good measure.

"I regret to inform you that my heart is given!"

" _Given_?!" They chorused.

Trying to hold in her laughter, she responded, "Yes, given!"

Their reactions ranged from outrage to uncontrollable misery, Snotlout the former, Fishlegs the latter. Stoick attempted to conceal raging emotions of his own.

"And to whom," he asked in his soft dangerous tone, "have you promised yourself without my permission?"

"His name," said Astrid, eyes locked on Stoick's, raising her voice to ensure all the bachelors could hear, "is Hiccup."

" _Hiccup_?!" whined Snotlout, "That has _gotta_ be made up."

The twins howled with laughter from the rooftop. "Sounds fake," Tuffnut choked out between bursts of laughter, "but okay!"

"And he comes from the North today to claim his love!"

Some of the mob, seeing they had no chance, stalked off to their houses or their ships at the dock. Fishlegs was one of them. "Well, can't say we didn't try, eh guys? A for effort!"

The deranged Berserker Viking helped Snotlout to his feet. There was a dangerous glint in his eye. "Wow. What a letdown. I really don't know what to say. I sailed all this way out here and I feel so—" The glint turned to a manic one. "Let's pretend it's funny! Isn't it funny, Snothat? Hohohoho HOHOHOOHOHAHAHAAA!"

Snotlout and several others joined him in mock laughter, masking their pain. "Haha! Haha… Snot _lout… haha_ HAHAHA!" Eventually, he too, began his slow shuffle back to his hut. "Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!" He cried out dejected.

Astrid smiled smugly. _That takes care of that._

A rough hand pulled her aside. Now out of sight of the public, Stoick towered over her, looking furious.

"This Hiccup nonsense has got to come to an end, Astrid!" He ordered.

She crossed her arms. "I assume he came and spoke with you."

"Astrid, he's not fit to be chief! We've no idea where he's from or who he is! That's not the kind of man we'd want leading our people."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Oh? _Who's_ going to be chief? You couldn't have bothered to tell me this sooner?"

"Don't try and change the subject, lass." Stoick warned.

" _He's_ not going to be chief anyway. What does it matter to you?" Astrid challenged, growing hotter.

"I said that's enough! You are never to see that boy again."

" _What_?!"

"I don't like what he's done to you. You've been sneaking around, keeping secrets—"

She prodded him with her finger. " _Secrets_? Well where did these men from Freezing and Berserker Island come from? Surely they didn't just _happen_ to sail in for a visit on the same day?"

"Our people would never accept him as the husband to their chief. And I could never accept him as a son!" Stoick roared.

"How can you say that?!" Astrid was enraged.

"That's enough of this! Obviously, you're too upset to think straight. We'll talk about this later. You're to go home and never see this boy again." He ordered.

She and Stoick had had their disagreements over the years but never had she been so tempted to fight him than she was now. The military tactician in Astrid warned her that she would not win a fight against him. Instead of caving in to her rage, she cried out in frustration and stalked off home.

How dare he sabotage her and not allow her to present her case? Clearly they were both upset and needed to cool off before they spoke of this again. But was he going to see sense before night fell? What would she tell Hiccup? Her brain pounded furiously to the offbeat drum of her heart.

Applause and wolf-whistles came from above.

"Bravissima!" cheered Tuffnut.

"Encore! _Encore_!" demanded Ruffnut.

"Shut it, muttonheads!" Astrid snapped, slamming the door with a force she hoped was strong enough to knock the Thorston troublemakers off her roof. She stumbled blindly upstairs. From her window, she could hear an embarrassing, dejected chant. It sounded as if it were trying to claim victory in the battle, even though it was over. And not even she had won.

"Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!"

 **Author's Notes: Some of this poetry was taken directly from W.S. Gilbert during this scene's parallel in Iolanthe. The "fight fight fight kiss fight" is a joke taken directly from a good friend of mine.**


	6. Act I: Scene 5

**Author's Note: So glad this has been well-received! Life has been busy. Almost done the upcoming Act One Finale. Please review! Thanks so much!**

Act I Sc V

The cold wind blew against her face. Perched atop Cloudjumper's back, Valka raised her staff high in the air, signaling for the dragons to follow. The horde cried out in agreement, following the path Cloudjumper laid out across the sky.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Even years after she and Cloudjumper had made their first rescue, she still recognized the severity of every one. At any moment they could be taken down. Any moment the dragons could be recaptured. But that was what fueled her. She'd vowed to end the dragon trapping and hunting industry. She'd made it her mission to free every dragon in the archipelago and beyond.

She signaled for Cloudjumper to rotate. With a swirl of the magnificent dragon's tale, she could see the colorful pack behind them. A deep purple Razorwhip led the pack. He warned the others of nets whizzing from the catapults.

"Fire!" came a voice from below.

A net made of some sort of lightweight metal flew through the air, its path set on the purple Razorwhip.

Valka cried out, "Look out!"

But she was not fast enough. The net wrapped itself around the leader. He spiraled down to the waters below.

"No! Cloudjumper, dive!"

The Stormcutter put his four wings to work and let out his fearsome battle cry. It filled Valka with hope as she let out her own. They dove downward towards the water, coming dangerously close to the trappers' range.

Cloudjumper cried out in fear as a metal net flew straight towards Valka. She skillfully slipped from her dragon's back, dodging the net just in time and landing on his back.

The Razorwhip, however, was about to plummet to his doom when a Nadder swooped in and snatched him up with his claws. He carried the Razorwhip upward, let out a Magnesium fire blast, and shot a spine at the hunters. The others of the pack followed his example, bombarding the hunters with fire, spines, and the various attacks. This dragon had become the new leader.

"Yes!" cried Valka, her fist in the air. Cloudjumper followed, zooming upward. Her heart leapt. The ways of dragons would never cease to amaze her. She looked back. The trappers were merely specks, unable to reload, and consequently unable to report back to Drago with any more loot.

Cloudjumper drifted upwards towards the Nadder and purred what seemed like some congratulatory but respectful words. The Nadder squawked triumphantly. Cloudjumper took the lead, directing the pack to their new home.

As they drifted west, Valka's heart rate slowed as she transitioned from one thrill to the next: the thrill of the rescue to the thrill of flight. Being in the air was a feeling like no other. She twirled on the Stormcutter's back without worry for she knew he would always catch her. That was the strength of the bond they shared, her and Cloudjumper. He had opened a door to a world of possibilities bigger than she ever could have imagined. Yet she often thought about her old life in Berk.

She missed Stoick every day. Knowing her Stoick, she knew in her heart that he would have scoured the corners of the map looking for her but there would have been no way to find her. In the early years of her exile, she had considered returning to Stoick to beg forgiveness but she it would be futile. She knew the people of Berk were incapable of change. Her heart turned cold at the thought. She knew that if she returned Cloudjumper would be killed. She loved him too much to risk his life like that.

And it would also be quite a story for Hiccup. It had been hard enough to explain to Hiccup that she'd been banished. It would be even harder to explain to him that he was the son of the chief. At his age, he was due to be chief any day now. An image appeared in Valka's mind; Hiccup as a Viking chief, sporting a horned helmet too large for his head, wielding an axe whose blade was bigger than his head… She laughed. The thought was ridiculous.

Not that she doubted his judgement, diplomacy, or skill. He was a brilliant boy. He was a fighter and a leader. With Stoick as chief, there was no need for Hiccup to make the long pilgrimage to his homeland. The dragons needed him here. He and Toothless were as much the leaders of this ragtag pack as Cloudjumper and Valka. They made such a good team. With this fond thought, she was grimly reminded that he had declined the offer to go on this mission with her.

Valka felt her heart break. She loved Hiccup. He was so special to her and she was so proud of his skills and his accomplishments. However, her maternal instinct to protect him had more recently done their relationship more harm than good. She wondered if he was still upset about that time a few months ago when they had argued.

Cloudjumper had been injured and Valka had needed to stay at the mountain sanctuary and nurse him back to health. Hiccup had begged her to allow him and Toothless to go on a rescue mission alone but she had forbidden it. She knew that together he and Toothless were unstoppable but an attack without Cloudjumper would have been foolish. He and Toothless had flown off and disappeared for a few days. When they had returned, Hiccup had seemed secretive yet much happier. Since then, he and Toothless had been gone much more frequently than usual. At first, Valka had wondered if they had been going on missions alone, but Hiccup respected and loved her too much to blatantly disregard her wishes like that. Now dancing atop Cloudjumper's back, she only wished that Toothless had not been too sick to join them this time.

Spikes of ice came into view across the horizon as Cloudjumper roared to the Nadder who directed the dragons to their new home. They roared with glee as they soared over the water.

Without Hiccup at her side, it reminded her of her solo missions before Toothless. After a rescue mission, he would come rushing up to meet her, begging her to tell him all the details and to introduce him to every new dragon. She was half-expecting a black Night Fury to rise from the mountain, Hiccup perched on its back, asking all the same questions he had as a child.

" _How many trappers were there?" "Have you seen the spines on this guy?!"_

But when no sign of Toothless or her son appeared on above the mountain, her heart fell.

The dragons followed Cloudjumper and the Nadder to the lovely green and explored the space gleefully. But Valka's heart sank when she did not hear the friendly cry of a Night Fury or the voice of her son.

Her first thought was that they had gotten wind of another dragon in trouble. But if Toothless had been too sick to join them he certainly wouldn't have flown off on his own. Hiccup would have left a note if that had been the case.

Valka checked all the dark crevices in the mountain where Hiccup and Toothless liked to hide. There was no sign of either of them. Except in one dark cave, Hiccup's notebook. Valka took it in her hands and stroked the binding. Hiccup would never have left this behind. He carried it with him almost always. It contained all his plans for his inventions and details on all known species of dragon.

Emerging from the cave, she met Cloudjumper at its entrance. The dragon sniffed Hiccup's notebook. His eyes narrowed.

"What is it?" Valka asked. She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. "Is he in trouble?"

Cloudjumper lowered his wing for Valka to mount.

"Take me to him."

They flew for hours as day turned to night. Eventually she saw lights playing off the water. As she drew closer, she saw that they were fires burning inside rock formations as if fireplaces had been carved to light sailors' ways through the tumultuous sea. She hoped to all the gods that it was not what she thought it was.

Soon enough, across the horizon came the distinctive rock tower, teetering to one side. Her heart dropped. This was Berk…


	7. Act I: Scene 6 (Act I Finale)

**AN: WOW I finally did the Act One Finale. In every Gilbert and Sullivan operetta it's always the toughest piece to put together, considering the continuous music and action and rapid changes of plot. Let me know what you think! Happy reading!**

Act I Sc VI (Act One Finale)

One last time, Hiccup made his desperate attempt at a Night Fury call into the darkness that engulfed both him and the forest. He waited in hopes of catching a trace of movement among the black. Worry filled him as all remained still. He begged the gods for the sound of a plasma blast.

Exhausted from a day of wandering the forest searching for Toothless and from Stoick's painful rejection, Hiccup collapsed on an overturned log. He sighed bitterly. How could he have ruined his chances with Astrid and lost his best friend all in one day? However it had happened, he would deal with it in the morning. He was too tired to think. He didn't know these woods. He knew the cove but it was miles off. He wished he'd marked his way from where he'd landed that morning. He cursed himself for his inability to think straight.

Now that he had given up all hope of meeting Astrid or getting home before morning, the inevitable crept into his idle mind. What if Toothless had been captured? What was he going to tell Astrid? The reminders that he had lost them both made it difficult to breathe. Hopelessness filled him and tears stained his cheeks.

Suddenly, from above came the unmistakable shriek of his beloved black dragon. Hiccup shot upward.

"Toothless!" he cried in relief.

The Night Fury sloppily landed on his feet, green eyes wide with concern, mewling as if to ask Hiccup where he'd been all day.

"Oh, Toothless, oh, bud," Hiccup sighed, hugging his dragon's head, so grateful for the comfort his cold scales provided. He stroked him, tracing the outline of his face, so relieved to have him back. "I sure am glad to see you, bud."

Above him came another familiar sound; the four wings of a Stormcutter pushed cold air in the duo's faces.

"Mom!"

Another sight he was glad to see. Cloudjumper hovered closer to the ground and Valka skillfully slid down his wing onto the ground. Concern etched on her face, she grabbed Hiccup by the shoulders and wrapped him into an embrace.

"Hiccup, what are you doing here? We have to get you home." She whispered urgently.

He had not expected the Stormcutter to be able to find him this far south of the mountain. Cloudjumper wasn't a member of the tracker class, or so he thought. How in Thor's name had she found him? For all Valka knew, Toothless was too sick to take off. "Mom, how did you—"

She slid a leather-bound notebook into his hand. Hiccup recognized it as his own. Inside were drawings of mechanics for his latest contraptions. He had been so foolish to have left it behind! But if he'd learned anything recently it was that with Astrid on his mind, he was quite foolish indeed. He blushed, remembering the fib he'd told her when she'd left for the mission. At this very moment, Toothless was rearing to go…

Valka sauntered over to Toothless, arms crossed. Toothless grinned sheepishly. "And what's this? It seems that Toothless is well enough to fly you all this way. Seems like he made a speedy recovery."

"Yeaaahhh… about that…"

"You deliberately lied to me, Hiccup," she scolded, "I should have known that you wouldn't respect me enough to tell me—" She collected herself. "There's no time for this. We'll talk about this in the air. We need to get off this island. It's not safe here. This place is no friend to dragons."

Hiccup scoffed. "Yeah, you're telling me…" He paused, "Wait… do you know about these people?"

"No matter." Valka avoided the subject. "We're far from home. We need to get back."

Hiccup had to make her see. He knew in his heart that she too had known love. She had told him how she'd loved his father very much. And she'd also known secrecy. She'd kept her suspicions about the intelligence of dragons to herself for years. Astrid was his love and this place was his secret. Surely she would understand.

"Mom, just let me explain."

"You can explain later," she whispered. Cloudjumper hovered. Valka grabbed hold of his wing and used her staff to climb upward onto his back.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. Those two were always backing each other up. Although he had never met his father, he'd never really seen Valka as a single mom. Valka and Cloudjumper were essentially a married couple and at this moment it was particularly irritating. The Stormcutter purred in support of his rider.

"We need to get out of here," said Valka.

"No." Hiccup insisted.

"Hiccup," she warned.

"You have to hear me out!"

"And I will. Once we get into the air."

"Well then you'll have to wait because I can't leave just yet. I have some explaining to do."

Despite Toothless' gentle but urgent nudges, Hiccup couldn't comply. She would be due any minute by now. He couldn't risk Toothless' safety when he had to break the news. Toothless purred a plea, his eyes boring into Hiccup's heart.

"No, bud, she'll be here soon and we can't risk her seeing you." Hiccup begged.

"She?" Valka asked. She slid down Cloudjumper's wing slowly. The Stormcutter landed on all fours, its eyes just as curious as Valka's. "Who is she?"

His feelings overpowered him. He collapsed into his mother's arms, shaking with uncontrollable sobs. She hesitated at first, seeming surprised by his sudden outburst, but quickly returned the embrace. Hiccup could feel her stroking his hair. He was so embarrassed. He hadn't cried like this in a long time. Frustration, sadness, and embarrassment had caused him to explode. He hadn't wanted her to find out about Astrid like this. He had hoped to tell Valka when he had some good news. He didn't want to tell her until Astrid had accepted Toothless.

"Hiccup? What happened?" Valka asked.

Cries subsiding, Valka sat the still shaking Hiccup onto the overturned log. He broke from her embrace and took several deep breaths. He didn't want to see her face when he told her this story. It would be difficult to tell.

"A few months ago… after that big argument… Toothless and I took off and ended up flying this far south," he began.

The Night Fury waddled over to his friend, nuzzling his nose against Hiccup's hand in a show of support. This gave him courage. He continued.

"We got caught in the middle of some attack and we crashed and were separated on the way down. In my attempts to find Toothless in this forest, I met a beautiful woman."

He blushed. He felt silly talking to his Mom, champion of dragon refugees, about a girl but Astrid was so much more than that. She had to understand why he couldn't leave without saying goodbye. However, Valka did not protest. She listened, stroking his hair.

"Her name is Astrid. She lives in the village. She's my age. She's fierce and absolutely beautiful… " He sighed in a silly way, remembering the way her hair had cascaded down her back in waves the other night... Even in his despondent state, the mere thought of Astrid's ferocity, intelligence, and radiance were enough to lift his spirits at least temporarily. "…and I caught her when she was throwing axes… Long story short, we became very close. So while you've been on missions, Toothless and I have been flying off to visit her."

"She gets along with Toothless?" Valka's tone contained skepticism.

Hiccup sighed. "That's the thing. The people in her village don't get it. Since birth, they've been trained to think of dragons as monsters. I was hoping to earn her trust and then she would earn his." Hiccup scratched Toothless in his favorite spot but the dragon still narrowed his eyes. He continued, "When I flew in last night, she and I decided that we wanted to get married. But since her guardian is chief of the tribe we figured I'd better clear it with him first."

Valka seemed much more interested than Hiccup thought she would be. "The chief of the tribe? What did he say?"

"He forbade me to see her ever again! Astrid is almost of age to be chief and if I were her husband, I'd apparently also be pretty responsible for leading the people of his tribe. He said I wasn't qualified. Now I assured him that I was a leader, was careful not to mention dragons, but I wasn't good enough for him. And Astrid and I were supposed to meet near somewhere in these godsforsaken woods tonight but what am I gonna tell her?! That I'm not chief material? That this is goodbye?"

Tears welled up in his eyes once again as Valka took him and cradled his head and shoulders in her arms.

"She must be pretty special to you that you would overlook her prejudice towards dragons," said Valka.

"She's smart, Mom. I'm absolutely certain that if I told her about Toothless, she'd understand. And…" He blushed, still feeling a little silly admitting this to the hero of all dragons. "…you're right. Astrid is very special to me."

"Fear not, Hiccup," she said, "we'll make them understand."

Hiccup's heart leapt. "You will?"

"Of course." A smile played across her face.

"Oh, gods, Mom, thank you so much." He and his mother embraced.

"Anything for you, Hiccup."

Their tender moment was broken by a drizzle of Night Fury saliva. The dragon's affection knocked him to the ground.

"Ack! Toothless!" Hiccup scolded with a laugh. Toothless chuckled as he continued to nuzzle his nose and lick his face. Hiccup managed to weasel his way out from under the dragon. "Thanks, Mom, and thanks, bud." He brought his face to Toothless'. If the gods kept him from Astrid, at least he would always have Toothless.

Their moment was cut short as an axe whizzed from the trees. The boy and dragon dove in opposite directions to avoid it. Hiccup looked around.

Someone had been watching them in the bushes and was livid. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, agh! I cannot believe you!"

It was Astrid.

Valka climbed atop Cloudjumper's back and took to the trees. Toothless bared his teeth. Astrid sauntered forward to retrieve her axe. Unsure what to do, Hiccup stood rooted to the spot.

"Astrid! It's it's it's… _not_ how it looks…" He spluttered. Despite the bitter cold, his hands and face instantly grew sweaty.

Heaving the axe from the log and raising it to Hiccup's neck, she scoffed. "'Not how it looks?'" There was a deadly note in her voice. "You've been keeping secrets!"

The Night Fury leapt in front of Hiccup and into action. He roared, defending Hiccup. Astrid raised her axe. Throwing caution to the wind, Hiccup rushed between the two. Toothless immediately stood down but Astrid took some more convincing. Much stronger than Hiccup, she took him down easily. In response, the Night Fury shot a blast at her, which she lithely dodged with a backflip.

"No, bud!" Hiccup begged from the forest floor, "I need her to understand."

"Woah, did you see that?!" came a voice from the foliage.

As Astrid and Hiccup got to their feet, he caught sight of a crowd of Vikings peeking out from the trees nearby. Had they been watching the entire time?

 _As if I needed any_ more _embarrassment today_ , he thought.

"Uh, yeah! Of _course_ I did. I'd have to be blind not to see that." came another voice.

"He got beat by a _girl_!"

"Watch it, Tuff! I could beat your ass any day!" said another voice. This surprised Hiccup, as he did not think this voice had belonged to a girl. A small scuffle ensued.

"Forget that!" said a man's wary voice, "I know the sound of that beast anywhere! That's a Night Fury! Stay where you are!"

"Hiccup," raged Astrid. She had recovered. "You cannot be serious! This thing is your… .pet?"

 _This is really bad,_ he thought. He had wanted to do this by degrees. Gently. Not all at once in front of a crowd of prying Vikings.

"Well, he uh, prefers the term 'best friend'—"

" _He_?!" Astrid wielded her axe again.

Hiccup threw his hands in the air to stop her. Toothless came to his side and growled in warning. "Uh—uhm—Astrid…" he was trying his absolute best to mediate the situation but fear crept into his voice, "…this is Toothless—" The Night Fury's eyes narrowed as he let out a snarl.

"Toothless? Hah!" came a snort from the on-looking Vikings, "What a dumb name! Check out how many teeth that thing has!"

"Ugh, shut _up_ , Snotlout!" came another voice.

Astrid shook her head. Hiccup could see the hurt from his supposed betrayal. He couldn't bear to see her this way. She _had_ to understand.

"I believe," Hiccup continued, swallowing hard, "that dragons should not be killed. He and I have formed a bond that—"

"Enough of the dragon shit, Hiccup!" Astrid burst, exasperated, "Why in Thor's name did you think you could leave out this very important piece of information?"

"Astrid, I was going to tell you—" Hiccup protested. With every feeble attempt he could see her slipping further and further away from him.

"Hiccup, the only way the people of this village have survived is by fighting and killing dragons!" She exclaimed, "I can't believe you would keep this from me!"

"Well, I figured you'd react this way—"

"Yeah, of _course_ I'm gonna react this way! You lied to me, Hiccup!" She held him at the mercy of her axe. "That's it! We're over!"

All the air in his chest left his body. This was not good… But he could fix this. He could help her understand…

"No, Astrid, I can ex—"

"What in Thor's name is going on out here?" came another voice from the trees. One Hiccup recognized. His stomach sank as Stoick arrived on the scene.

"Chief!" warned one of the Vikings, "Night Fury!"

As Stoick rushed into the clearing, Hiccup acted fast.

"Toothless, run!"

The dragon protested, his pupils widening.

"I'll call if I need you, just go!" He begged.

Toothless bounded off. Although worried for the dragon's safety, Hiccup knew Toothless would be safer away from him. The Vikings emerged from the trees, closing in on Hiccup, Astrid, and Stoick to get a better look. Two beefy Vikings about Astrid's age sidled up closely to her. Hiccup's heart sank further.

"Way to go, Chief," said another sourly, "you scared off the Night Fury."

"Night Fury?! Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Stoick asked.

" _I_ can tell you exactly what happened," said the shorter of the two Vikings close to Astrid.

Hiccup groaned. He knew this wasn't going to be good.

Now in good view, Hiccup could see that this Viking was not particularly good-looking with his huge nose and unprecedented air of confidence, but he certainly fit the Viking prototype for stocky, ugly, and not too bright.

"This man," he said dramatically, pointing accusingly at Hiccup, earning a glare from Stoick, "was seen with a Night Fury. He would ask us to believe that dragons are our _friends_!"

Hiccup grew even redder, feeling more stupid by the minute as the entire crowd of Vikings burst into raucous laughter.

The shorter of Astrid's suitors leaned close to her and whispered something in her ear. It must have been something repulsive as she delivered a seemingly well-deserved punch to the face.

A sliver of hope within him pushed him to step forward and confront Stoick. This was a second chance. He hoped his pleas to Stoick would reach Astrid somehow, as she threw him icy glares of her own.

"Sir, you have to believe me. Dragons are not what you think they are. Yes, you have been brought up to believe that they are terrifying threats to your very existence. But time and time again, I have seen dragons prove their good hearts. They don't mean any harm."

"Any harm?!" bellowed Stoick, towering over Hiccup, "They've killed hundreds of us!"

"Not for months! Other than the Night Fury, how many dragons have you seen on this island in the past few months?"

Stoick's eyes would not let him be.

Hiccup continued, "None. Because they no longer have any reason to raid! A few months ago when I first crashed on this island, I freed the dragons from the tyranny of their—"

"You _what_?!" cried Astrid. Hiccup whirled around to see her furious. She advanced towards him, the two beefy teen Vikings flanking her on either side like inefficient body guards.

"Astrid, no, you have to hear me out." Hiccup pleaded, "They're not what you think! They're just protecting themselves against the Queen dragon! For generations she's fooled you all—"

He fell to the ground as Astrid punched him in the chest. "No, Hiccup, _I'm_ the one that's been fooled! You deceived me!"

"Hear me out!" He jumped to his feet as his tears fell.

"No chance!" She bellowed. Had dragons been nearby, their fire would have illuminated Astrid's own fire in her eyes. She carefully collected herself and coyly eyed the two Vikings standing beside her. "And since I know that I can no longer trust you…" A vindictive smile played upon her lips. "…and since I am of marrying age…"

"No," Hiccup whispered.

"…I hereby give myself to one of these two!" She grabbed the hands of Vikings standing beside her and raised them to the air, as if they had all shared a war victory. "I don't care which!"

Hiccup watched in horror as Astrid sauntered off, the two Vikings on either side of her rejoicing heartily.

"Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!" chanted the one on her left obnoxiously.

"Woooooo!" yelled the one on her left giddily, "Oh yeah, Fishleeeeeegs!"

Hiccup could stand this no longer. He had to show them he wasn't crazy. Astrid had to believe him! He was not alone in his love for dragons. He needed his mother's help. But where had she gotten to? He cupped his hands to his mouth and let out his best Stormcutter call.

Suddenly, Cloudjumper shot straight up from the tree line followed by at least a hundred wild dragons. Valka stood masked atop her dragon's back like a military commander. Even Toothless bounded forth from the trees to Hiccup's side.

The Vikings gasped below, raising their axes and bludgeons.

"Okay!" said Hiccup in surprise, "Not really what I had in mind. It's a little ehm…grandiose but right now, I think I'll take all the help I can get."

Valka raised her staff high in the air and aimed it downward towards the crowd of Vikings.

"No!" Hiccup gasped.

The pack dove simultaneously, Valka in the lead. Claws sharp and teeth bared, each dragon set their sights on a Viking.

Hiccup knew that this would only make things worse. Toothless' eyes met Hiccup's, mirroring his same fear. This was not at all what he'd had in mind. Hiccup mounted the Night Fury and they flew into the fray to catch his mother.

"We have to get her to call off the pack," Hiccup explained to Toothless, "those lunatics will never see reason _this_ way!"

"Ooh! What a diverse pack! I think I can identify Monstrous Nightmare, Scuttleclaw, Thunderdrum, Zippleback…and that magnificent Stormcutter and its rider seem to be their leader! Unbelievable!" marveled Fishlegs, choosing to admire the dragons rather than fight them.

"Hold up, babe, I got this," said Snotlout, wielding his axe to the mouth of a Razorwhip but the dragon's deft tail wrapped around his body and threw him to the ground. "Never mind. I don't got this."

"Stoick," called Astrid, "There's too many of them! Maybe we should retreat!"

"Nonsense!" declared Stoick, "Never surrender!"

Toothless found Cloudjumper supervising the chaos and pulled up to meet them there.

"Mom! This has to stop!" yelled Hiccup over the turmoil of the skirmish below, "This will achieve nothing!"

"It's only scare tactics, Hiccup," said Valka, "Soon they'll understand. They're just as bad as hunters."

"But that's because they don't know any better!" Hiccup protested, "Please, mom, call them off. I couldn't bare it if Astrid were hurt."

Valka sighed. "Very well then." She whistled and Cloudjumper ascended. Whirling her staff in a circle, the dragons below caught sight and followed suit, flying in a sort of tornado upwards. They hovered in a circle beneath Hiccup's feet.

Cautiously, he held out a hand to the pack as he and Toothless lowered themselves gradually. Astrid's eyes were focused on him. He was just about to land at her feet when Cloudjumper swerved in front of them and cut them off. Toothless reared back in surprise.

"NO! We just need to _talk_!" cried Hiccup in frustration.

"Don't worry, Hiccup," Valka assured, still masked, "your voice will soon be heard…" She then directly addressed the Vikings assembled below, Fishlegs and Snotlout trembling, Astrid standing her ground as if fearlessly staring death in the eye.

"People of this village!" said Valka, "For generations, you have slaughtered dragonkind in claims of self-defense. But today, their oppression ends."

More Vikings shook below as the dragons above snorted in laughter.

"Who is the leader of this tribe? Let him step forth."

Chest puffed, Stoick pushed Snotlout out of the way to face this foe. He looked impressive wielding his axe at Valka and Cloudjumper. "I am. If we put down our weapons, will you and your dragons leave us in peace?"

Stoick threw his axe to the ground. Hiccup watched in awe as the Vikings of Berk laid down their axes and swords. His heart raced and warmth filled him. Maybe Stoick could be reasoned with after all! Maybe there was still hope!

Valka laughed a powerful, terrifying laugh Hiccup had never heard before. It sent a chill down his spine. Why in Thor's name was she behaving in this vindictive way?

"Oh, we will most certainly take flight," Cloudjumper dove down and hovered feet from Stoick's head, "but not until you've heard my son out. All of you will hear my son out!"

Hiccup and Toothless watched from above. "What is she doing?" Toothless shook his head. Hiccup groaned, "Moooommm…"

"From today on," she paused dramatically, "Hiccup will be a member of the island's council!"

"What?" roared Stoick.

"What?" whined Snotlout, " _Hiccup_ was put on the council before _me_?! But I'm a natural-born leader!"

"Says the guy who got his butt whipped by the end of the dragon that doesn't even breathe fire." Two similar-looking Vikings, probably twins, shared a high-five.

"What?!" exclaimed Hiccup, "Mom, you know what Stoick said about me! I've only led— _dragons,_ not _people!_ "

"Hah! And what makes _you_ think," laughed a fat Viking with an axe attached to his arm, "that we would hear this lad out?"

Without a moment's hesitation, the Nadder nearest him shot a spine from its tail and pinned him to a tree.

"Fair enough," he agreed.

Stoick held up his hands in surrender. "Take your dragons and leave the people of this village _alone_!"

"You will heed his words!" cried Valka, "Or… who shall say what evils may result in consequence?"

Both Stoick and Hiccup sighed in exasperation.

"He will rewrite your laws! You will no longer kill dragons: you will with them in harmony!"

The Vikings below gasped in horror, save for Snotlout, who picked up the nearest bludgeon and hurled it at the Razorwhip. The dragon bared his teeth. Snotlout bolted back towards the village and several other Vikings followed suit. The dragons broke free from their circle and flew after them, screeching and breathing all the fire they could muster. Chaos ensued.

Toothless groaned.

"Tell me about it," sighed Hiccup. They took off into the whirlpool of color, searching for Astrid below. He listened for the squeals of her new potential lovers.

"Oh Thor! Oh Thor!" cried Fishlegs.

But Astrid had outrun them. When Toothless caught a glimpse of her, he sped towards her.

"Astrid!" Hiccup called out.

Hours ago, she'd been his lover. But in this moment, she looked at him as if he were the enemy. He could see the hatred in her eyes as she hurled her axe at Toothless. The Night Fury agilely zoomed out of its path. He soared upward.

The village came into view. Astrid darted towards the chief's house and took refuge inside. Toothless bounded onto the roof.

The herd of dragons circled him as he and Toothless perched upon the roof, an impressive sight. The Vikings arrived in the square below, at the dragons' mercy.

Hiccup was desperate. He needed this to all stop so he could just speak to Astrid. "Mom?" Hiccup cried amidst the confusion. His hopes had fled. His heart fell. He sighed.

Suddenly, the shingles beneath Toothless' talons caught fire. He leapt into the sky.

"Woah! What the-?"

Hanging around the neck of the wooden dragon head atop the house was a sign reading "Burn me".

"Alright! Yeah!" cried the twins with enthusiastic applause.

End of Act I


End file.
